Vertical-rising airship



I Feb. 10,1931. J. D. LANGDON 1,791,597

VERTICAL RISING AIRSHIP Filed Nov. 8. 192'! 4 g V Qmxmtoz;

Patented Feb. 10, 1931 4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JESSE n. LA'N'GDON,or- Losenennns, cum-0min vEmIcAL BIsme Amsmr Application filed November8, 1927. Serial No. 231,916.-

airship which may" alight in water with 1 safety. I

With the foregoing and other ObJGCtS m view, which will be apparent asthe description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction andarrangement of parts, as

hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes canbe made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from thespirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Fi relis a longitudinal vertical section of ti:

improved airship, portions being shown in elevation.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the alrship, portions of'the wings beingbroken away- Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the airship, portions of thewings being broken oif.

The airship has a large open ended cylindrical body composed of theouter and inner shells 1 and 2, and the space between them 'may be usedfor passengers, baggage and freight.

A pilot cabin 6 depends from the rearpor- 'tion of the outer shell 1with the body in horizontal position, as seen in Fig. 1, and the shell 1has a longitudinal keel 7 extending from the cabin 6 to the forward endof the b Wings 5 extend from the opposite sides of the body to preventrotation of the body during vertical ascent, and to enable the machineto lide in the air like an airplane,whenin flig t as seen in Fig. 1. vVertical and horizontal rudders 3 and 4,

respectively, are hingedly mounted atthe rear end of the-body, and .aresuitably controlled byany well known means. As

shown, the control includes a lever 13 within the cabin 6 connected tothe rudder 4, and the same orother lever may control the rudder 3, aswell known in the art. A lon 'tudinal axial shaft 10 is 'ournaled II1CI'OSS ars 8.mounted within the ody', and said shaft is driven by'anengine 9 at the rear end of the body. The-shaft 10 has a propeller 11thereon Within the forward end portlon of the body, for drawing the airintothe body and forcing it rearwardly through said body for lifting orpropelling the a1r-- Shi).

hock absorbing plungers or feet 15' are slidable in the tubes orcylinders '15 within the rear end of the body, for supporting theairship in vertical position on the ground, or cushioning the airshipwhen it lands. The pilots seat 16 is hingedly suspended in the cabin 6so that the seat will remain in the same position when the airship is invertical and horizontal positions. In horizontal flight the pilot isseated with his back to the rear end of the cabin 6, and in verticalascent or descent the pilot is seated with his back toward the shellSuitable parachutes 17' are nested within the pockets 17 provided in theforward end of the body, in order that said parachutes may be releasedin case of necessity for a forced landing. These parachutes may be ofthe usual kind to suspend the airship therefrom for slow'descent.

An umbrella type of parachute 18 'is mounted on the shaft 10 behind the'propeller, so as to be opened up during descent of the airship, tocatch the air which passes through the body, so as to slow downthe-descent, with or wlthout the parachutes 17'.

A propeller 18 is disposed in rear of the cabin 6, to be driven from theengine 9, for

propelling the airship when it alights'in wator, the cabin 6 serving asa boat hull in order that the airship may travel on the surface of thewater.

c To make an ascent, the airship is disposed on end, as seen in Fig. 3,with the plungers or feet 15 resting on the ground. The propeller 11being operated will lift the airship,

and the wings 5 will prevent the body from rotating. When the airshiphas reached a desired altitude it may be brought to a horizontalposition, as seen in Fig. 1, by controlling the rudder 4. The airshipmay then be steered by the rudders 3 and 4 and will have a flightsimilar to an airplane, the wings 5 sustaining the heavier rear portionof the airship while the propeller 11 draws the for ward end of the bodyforwardly and sustains it in flight.

Should the engine fail or other contingency arise, the rear heavierportion of the airship will fall faster than the forward end, and theair rushing up through the body will open the parachute 18, and therebyslow down the descent. The parachutes 17' may also be released.

The airship, after horizontal flight, may also be turned to verticalposition and the propeller 11 slowed down in order that vertical descentmay be made, the airship landing on the plungers 15 which are cushionedto absorb the shock.

The airship may descend on the surface 0 water, and will float, theshells 1 and 2 and cabin 6 being of water-tight construction, and may beprovided with suitablewindows for observation. The propeller 19 enablesthe airship to be propelled in the water.

. Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. An airship comprising an open-ended tubular body, a propeller withinsaid body, a cabin depending from the body at the rear end thereof, anda keel depending from the body in frontof the cabin.

2. An airship comprising an open-ended tubular body, a propeller withinthe passage of said body, said body having provisions at one sideincluding a keel to move in water with the body horizontal, a waterpropeller associated with said provisions, and rudders disposed acrossone open end of the body.

3. An airship comprising an open-ended cylindrical body, a propellermounted in the forward open end of the body, anengine mounted in therear open end of the body and connected to said propeller, and ruddersmounted across the rear open end of the body.

4. An airship according to claim 3, and including a folded parachuteimmediately behind the propeller and adapted to be opened up within thebody. v

5. An airship according to claim 3 and including an umbrella typeparachute mounted immediately behind the propeller to Y be opened upwithin the body.

6. An airship according to claim 3, and including wings extending fromthe body near the rear end thereof.

7. An airship according to claim 3, wherein the body has a cabinprojecting therefrom near the rear end of the body and adapted to floatin water.

8. An airship according to claim 3 including a cabin projecting from thebody near the rear end t ereof' and adapted to float in water, and awater propeller carried by said cabin.

\ 9. 'An airship according to claim 3. wherein the body has outer andinner surfaces, and including shock absorbing plungers slidably mountedin the rear end portion of the body between the outer and inner surfacesthereof.

10. An airship comprising an open ended cylindrical body, propellingmeans located within the forward open end of the bod an engine mountedin the body in rear 0 and connected to said propelling means, andrudders carried by the body at the rear end thereof, the body having acabin projectin therefrom near the rear end of the body an adapted tofloat in water.

11. An airship according to claim 10, and a keel projecting from thebody in front of said cabin.

12. An airship according to claim 10, and a water propeller carried bysaid cabin.

13. An airship comprising an open ended cylindrical body, propellingmeans located within the forward open end of the body, an engine mountedin the body in rear of and connected to said propelling means, rudderscarried by the body at the rear and thereof,

and shock absorbing plungers slidably' name to this specification.

JESSE D. LANGDON.

Ill

